How to find North for Vastu in your home
The most reliable way to find North for a Vastu check is to match your building on a satellite map, then confirm it with a phone compass inside the home, away from metal. The North arrow on a builder's plan is a starting point, not proof.
Why a few degrees matter
The 16-zone school divides the home into zones of 22.5 degrees. The 8-direction school uses 45 degrees. A North that is off by 12 degrees moves a room more than half a zone under the 16-zone school, and a room near a zone line crosses into the next zone. The reading changes with it.
Three ways to find North
| Method | Gives | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| The arrow on the plan | The builder's or architect's North | Often approximate. Sometimes missing or drawn for the whole site, not the unit. |
| Satellite map match | True (geographic) North | Find the right tower and the right side of it. Line up the plan's outer walls with the building's outline. |
| Phone compass | Magnetic North | Steel and appliances pull it off. Differs from true North by the magnetic declination of the place. |
How the check rates North
| Confidence | When |
|---|---|
| High | The satellite map match and the phone compass agree within 8°. |
| Medium | One of the two is done, or they differ by 8° to 15°. |
| Low | North comes only from the arrow on the plan or from the dial, or the two checks differ by more than 15°. |
The full method is on the methodology page.
Magnetic declination by city
Magnetic declination is the angle between magnetic North, which a compass shows, and true North. Our phone compass reading is magnetic and is not yet corrected for declination. Where declination is small, as in India and the UAE, this makes no practical difference. Where it is large, rely on the satellite map match.
| City | Declination |
|---|---|
| Mumbai | 0° |
| Delhi | 1.3° east |
| Bengaluru | 1.1° west |
| Dubai | 2.2° east |
| Abu Dhabi | 2.2° east |
| New York | 12.5° west |
| Boston | 13.9° west |
| Chicago | 4.2° west |
| Houston | 1.7° east |
| Dallas | 2.5° east |
| San Francisco | 12.8° east |
| Seattle | 14.9° east |
Taking a compass reading
Stand near the centre of the home, a metre away from metal, phone flat and screen up. Take three readings a step apart. The Vastu compass shows the heading and its zone under both schools.
Questions people ask
Should Vastu use magnetic North or true North?
Practice differs. Many consultants read a magnetic compass on site, and maps use true North. In Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru the two differ by about a degree or less, which rarely changes a zone. In parts of the USA they differ by 12 to 15 degrees, which can. Our check uses the satellite map match as the reference.
Can I trust the North arrow on a builder's plan?
Treat it as a starting point. Brochure arrows are often approximate, and an error of 10 to 20 degrees moves rooms into the next zone. Verify it before you trust any reading.
Why does my phone compass jump around inside the flat?
Steel in columns, railings, almirahs and appliances disturbs a phone compass. Move a metre away from metal and take three readings a step apart. If they differ by more than 10 degrees, move again.
Related: Vastu for homes in the USA, 16-zone vs 8-direction Vastu.